Buti Yoga: The workout that slays

Kate Maas/Courier
Lili Daniel; Buti Yoga teacher and Athleta Brand Ambassador; shows the class how to do Locust Pose at her Buti Yoga class at the Pasadena Athleta Store on Sunday; September 4; 2017. She teaches a free class here on the first Sunday of every month and it’s open to everyone.

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Yoga lovers and recreational booty shakers rejoice, there is now a sanctuary for us all.

I myself am a booty shaker, with no experience whatsoever with the mystical practice of yoga. I was definitely taking a big risk. What the hell is Buti yoga, and how do you even imagine the two morphed together? I really had no idea what to expect at all!

The first awesome detail about Buti yoga, that really pleases the wallet, is that the admittance is free. Yes, broke college students, you read that correctly. Free Buti yoga class! The class is held every first Sunday of the month at 46 West Colorado Blvd. in the Athleta store. Simply walk in, get greeted with a huge smile and warm welcome, and the instructor walks up and starts a conversation with every single class attendee.

If you too aren’t an experienced yoga practitioner then you can only imagine how nervous I was walking in with my freshly bought yoga mat.

The very charming, charismatic Lili Daniel is the instructor for the class and she really is a warm presence. When she introduced herself, I felt as though I have been attending these classes for years. She, however, does have years of yoga experience under her belt.

“I practice traditional power yoga,”Daniel said. “ I wanted, because I love music, to mix tribal and yoga together.”

And she successfully did so. For all Beyonce lovers out there, a full Beyonce playlist had us shaking our booties in harmony with the smiling and motivational Daniel leading the way. It was beautiful. For being out of shape, I was expecting to die and give up during the middle of class. However, the whole hour it was easy to stick through because really, the workout is dancing.

“With old traditional yoga your body is so stiff that I would fall,” said fellow attendee Quinn Ngo. “The music really helps so I can concentrate … I forget about posting and everything else.”

Daniel perfectly incorporates the traditional yoga poses with dance and movement that works out the core, butt, and thighs. Who doesn’t love getting slim thick while dancing to Beyonce?

After the intense and satisfying workout, Daniel brought all the students together for a come down of the body. Being a college student is stressful, but laying down on my yoga matt and getting sensual oils sprayed in the air made me forget all about my delayed financial aid check, and that class I couldn’t add on.

Buti yoga definitely is an experience that I feel everyone should experience, and I encourage readers to attend the next class being held on the first sunday of next month. You will not regret a thing.